Dean Westlake appears to have beaten Rep. Benjamin Nageak in the Democratic House primary for District 40.
North Slope
State takes control of gas line megaproject; consultant warns of major risks
After months of mixed signals, Gov. Bill Walker’s administration and the state’s three current partners – ExxonMobil, BP and ConocoPhillips — told lawmakers this week that the state will take the lead on the megaproject as soon as this fall.
10-year-old girl dies of injuries due to ATV accident in Grayling
A 10-year-old girl has died from injuries she sustained from an ATV accident in Grayling. Aaliyahellie Shangin-Andrews of Anchorage was riding on the back of a 2001 Honda four-wheeler while Kaitlin Andrews, 18, was driving.
Low sea ice and warm water to drive autumn weather
El Nino has transitioned to below normal sea surface temperatures in the mid-latitude Pacific. If that persists, then the condition known as La Nina, typically results in a colder than normal winter for Alaska.
Cruise-ship evacuation exercise begins as luxury liner prepares for Arctic trek
The U.S. Northern Command and Coast Guard have launched a major field-training exercise off Alaska’s northwest coast. Arctic Chinook is intended to demonstrate how local, state and federal agencies would respond to a simulated cruise ship accident. Coincidentally, a big luxury cruise ship will sail through the area while the exercise is under way. And to further complicate things, bad weather has just set in.
On the Serenity, keeping alert for an icy voyage ahead
The Crystal Serenity is carrying 980 passengers on a 32-day journey from Anchorage to New York City. The cruise ship is the largest ever to navigate the Northwest Passage, a voyage of many other firsts for Crystal Cruises, according to captain Birger Vorland.